Production workers at Smurfit Westrock’s site at Wakefield, Massachusetts, US, have gone on strike after contract discussions with the company reached an impasse.
The 60 employees represented by Teamsters Local 3 began an unfair labour practice strike following the expiration of their previous agreement on 23 March.
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Workers are seeking “fair” wages, “affordable” healthcare, and the retention of retirement contributions.
The Wakefield facility supplies packaging for major pizza chains, including Domino’s and Papa Johns.
In a recent filing with state officials, Westrock Services, a subsidiary of Ireland-headquartered Smurfit Westrock, notified that the Wakefield site will close in May, resulting in 91 job losses.
Representing 400 workers in the Boston area, Teamsters Local 3 has raised concerns as the company moves forward with its plans.
Local 3 president Steve Sullivan commented: “Smurfit Westrock is the worst kind of corporate bully, spending millions of dollars for executive compensation and golden-parachute buyouts but nothing for the workers who built and maintain this company.
“Teamsters will not back down in this fight and will remain on the picket line 24/7 until this greedy employer comes to their senses.”
In a separate development, Smurfit Westrock confirmed last month that it will discontinue a paper machine at its La Tuque mill in Quebec, Canada, due to cost and efficiency issues.
The closure will also affect its extrusion facility in Pointe-aux-Trembles, where materials from La Tuque are processed.
Together, those closures are expected to eliminate 90 jobs between the two sites.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, Smurfit Westrock’s attributable net income dropped to $97m, from $146m in the same period a year earlier.
However, attributable net income increased to $699m in 2025, from $319m the previous year.
